Time-piece dial



(No Model.)

0. BIGKPORD. TIME PIECE DIAL.

No. 400,734. Patented Apr. 2, 1889..

W EE E |N\/ENTEIF|.

WWW?- 5 UNITED STATES PATENT Ornicni CHARLES BICKFORD, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

TIME-PIECE DIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,734, dated April 2,1889.

Application filed July 19, 1888.

To to whom it may OOH/0877b:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES BICKFORD, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Time-Pieces, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide improved means wherebyletters, figures, or symbols of a time-piece denoting the hours from oneto twenty-four in each day may be shown in the twelve divisions of atime-piece usually allotted to showing the hours from one to twelve, andalso to provide a twentyfour-hour time-piece which, though showingtwenty-four hours within the twelve spaces usually allotted to twelvehours, yet may be readily illuminated, as is often desirable intower-clocks and other time-pieces where the public weal requires thatthe time be shown in the night.

The invention consists of new an d improved mechanism whereby figuresdenoting the hours from one to twenty-four may be shown in a circle oftwelve divisions, either through twelve openings in the dial or ontwelve double figure-plates in front of the dial or on twelve singlefigure'plates carrying figures which represent twelve of the twenty-fourhours, while the other twelve are shown on the face of the dial-platethrough a glass or other transparent dial, which may be illuminated, orwithout any other dial than a narrow ring, on which the minutes may beshown.

The invention also consists, in combination with the mechanism of atime-piece, of a series of figure-platessingle or double, as may berequiredarranged con centrically with the houravheel of the time-pieceand at or near the periphery of the dial, each figure-plate being soconstructed as to swing freely on its axis in a plane parallel with thedial, said axis being outside of the space on the figure-plate which maybe required for figures.

The invention consists, further, of a series of radial levers pivoted toswing in a plane parallel with the dial and behind the same, the outerend of each lever having a fork which connects it with the figure-plateby an eccentric-pin in the hub of the figureplate; or, if a doublefigure-plate is employed, the

Serial No. 280,425. (No modeLl outer end of the lever may be providedwith two or more cog-teeth, which may be made to intersect correspondingteeth on the flange or hub of the figure-plate, while the inner end ofthe radial lever is connected with a cog wheel or pinion by aneccentric-pin on the face of the wheel, said eccentric-pin working in aslot in the inner end of the radial lever, the above-mentioned cog wheelor pinion being operated by a segment of a gear attached to thehour-wheel thimble, which segment engages each cog-wheel at the propertime and turns it half-way round, the wheel, by reason of itseccentric-pin, giving the lever its lateral motion and operating thefigure-plate. The next half-turn of the cog-wheel reverses the motion ofthe lever and moves the figure-plate back again.

The invention consists, furthermore, in a ring or shield which coversthe figure-plates when they are not in their operative positions, andthis ring or shield may bear on its face the marks and figures whichdivide the hours into minutes, all of which I will now proceed todescribe.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents the face of the dial on which the singletigure-plates are employed, one series of ordinals being shown 011 theface of the dial. The ring, which covers the figure-plates when they arenot required, is broken at 11-23 and 1224 to show the position andaction of the figure-plates. Fig. 4 is a section with the ring broken,showing the double figure-plate bearing one of each series of ordinals.Fig. 5 represents the face of a dial with twelve openings, through whichthe ordinals on the figure-plates are presented to the eye, one of thedouble figure-plates being shown as partially turned from 16 to a. Fig.2 is a section showing the edge of the lever and its connection at oneend with the cog-wheel and at the other with the flange or hub of thefigure-plate, also the ring in section supported by posts from thedial-plate at convenient points, which will not interfere with theaction of the figure-plates. This ring may, if desired, be supported bythe case of the time-piece. Fig.

3 is a back view of a section, showing the back of the figure-plate, thelever, the cogwheel, and the segment by which they are operated. Fig. 6represents a modification.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, a represents a dial or plate at the front of themechanism of a time-piece. Said plate may subserve the usual function ofa dial by having figures marked or inscribed directly upon it or not, ashereinafter described. As here shown, said plate constitutes the supportfor the laterallyswinging figure-plates b and for the devices whichcommunicate motion to said plates from the gearsegment c, which isattached to and revolved by the usual hour-wheel thimble, cl, of thetime-piece.

I will first describe my invention as carried out in connection with adial having permanently inscribed upon it twelve of the twentyfour-hourordinals, as shown in Fig. 1, the said permanently inscribed or fixedordinals extending from 1 to 12, inclusive, while the remainingordinals, extending from 13 to 24, inclusive, are inscribed on a seriesof twelve plates, 1), which are affixed to arbors e,mount- 'ed inbearings in the dial-plate a outside of the fixed ordinals. The arborsare adapted to be rocked intheir bearings, and to thereby swing theordinal-plates I) either inwardly, so as to cause them to cover thecorresponding fixed ordinals, or outwardly to uncover the fixed ordinalsI The described movements are imparted to the plates b by means of thecontinuously revolving rack-segment c and the intermediate devices abovereferred to, said devices being composed of, first, a series of twelvepinions, t, mounted on studs affixed to the dial a at uniform distancesapart, and arranged concentrically with the hour-wheel thimble, so thatthe gear-segment in revolving will successively engage and partly rotatesaid pinions, and, secondly, a series of levers, j, each pivotedcentrally to a stud, 7c, affixed to the inner side of the dial, and eachhaving at its inner end a slot, m, which receives an eccentric-pin, n,on one of the pinions 2', and at its outer end a slot 0, which receivesan eccentrically-arranged pin, 19, on a disk or hub, r, affixed to thearbor e of one of the plates b. The levers j are radially arranged, andthere is one lever, j, and a corresponding pinion, i, for each plate I).

The arrangement of the described parts issuch that the segment a engageswith a pinion, 7;, and gives said pinion a half-rotation, and thuscauses its eccentric-pin m to turn the:lever j, and, through said leverand the corresponding eccentric-pin, p, and arbor 6, move the plate I)on said arbor before the hour-hand reaches the point where said plate islocated. A half-rotation of a pinion, i, is sufficient to swing theplate I), connected therewith, into or out of sight, as the case may be,and the succeeding half-rotation of the same pinion, caused by its nextencounter with the segment 0, will move the plate in the oppositedirection, so that a plate which at a given time is in its innerposition covering one of the fixed ordinals will be swung outwardly toexpose said fixed ordinal by the next engagement of the revolvingsegment 0 with the pinion t, connected with said plate, and will beagain swung inwardly by the succeeding engagement of the said segmentand pinion twelve hours later, and so on, each plate being movededgewise either into or out of its operative position after thehour-hand has passed it.

3 represents a ring, which is attached to the dial by studs or posts 25,and is separated from the dial by a space of sufficient width to permitthe insertion 'of the plates 1) between it and the dial, said ring beingat the outer side of the dial. The ring 3 is of sufficient width tocover the plates 1) when they are swung outwardly, and is arrangedoutside of th fixed ordinals, as shown.

If desired, all the ordinals may be movable instead of being made in afixed and a movable series.

In Figs. ,4c and 5 I have shown each arbor 6 provided with twoplates, 1) h'. The plates I) bear the ordinals from 1 to 12, inclusive,while the plates b carry the ordinals from 13 to 24, inclusive, as inFig. 1. The operation is the same as that already described as to theswinging movements of the plates, each plate being alternately concealedand exposed.

Fig. 4 shows the ring 5 arranged as in Fig. 1, while in Fig. 5 the ringis omitted and the dial is provided with twelve orifices, w, arranged ina concentric series, the plates 17 and b coinciding with said orificeswhen they are in their operative positions.

IVhen the time-piece is to be illuminated, the dial (6 should betransparent or translucent and the ring 5 opaque. In this case theplates 1) may be of transparent material with opaque characters on them;or the characters composing the ordinals may constitute the entireplate, said characters being suitably affixed to the arbors 6.

Fig. 6 shows a modification in which the leverj has a series ofrack-teeth on its outer end meshing with teeth formed on the hub of thearbor e, said teeth being an equivalent of the eccentric pin 19 and slot0, before described. When said teeth are employed, each motion of thelever will give the arbor e a half-rotation, and the plates Z) I),connected with said arbor, will be arranged opposite each other.

It will be seen that when the double figureplates are employed at timesthe right side of one plate and the left side of its neighbor must reachnearly the same relative location on the dial under the ring; but toprevent their coming in contact one wing of each double plate may beadvanced the distance of its own thickness, and it will then swing infront of and past its neighbor without any very apparent difference inthe appearance of the time-piece dial, because the figureplates may beconstructed of material so thin that the outside plate will still bequite close to the dial. It will also be seen that the figure-plates maybe round or of any desired form; or skeleton figures may hang from thehubs by slender supports as the plates do and be shown in high or lowdegree.

IVhen it is not desired to illuminate the face of the time-piece, thecog-wheels, radial levers, and figure-plates may preferably be pivotedor journaled to or near the dial; but they may be attached to the frameof the time-piece movement or to a special frame, and in the event of anilluminated dial being required the cog-wheels and radial levers wouldpreferably be located some distance from the dial, so that the light mayfall between them and the dial and show'no shadows except of the figuresand hands, all which may be done by making the hub or shaft of thefigureplate to extend back far enough to reach the lever.

In Letters Patent No. $845,737, dated June 19, 1888, I describeand claima series of radially-arranged levers bearing figure plates or blocks andpivoted to swing from and toward the dial in planes at right anglestherewith and operated by a cam. In my present application it will beseen that the radially-arranged levers do not bear figure-plates and donot swing from and toward the dial, but in a plane parallel with thedial, and are not operated by a cam on the hour-wheel thimble.

The gear-segment in Patent No. 384,737 is a combination with a rotatingfigure-block, while the gear-segm ent and cog-wheels shown in thisapplication are in combination with radial levers having a lateralmotion in a plane parallel with the dial and figure-plates detached fromthe levers and not rotated, but swinging edgewise parallel with thedial.

It is obvious that the arbors e, which support the plates b, may bearranged nearer the center of the dial under a smaller subdial, which isof such diameter as to cover the dial a from the center out to the fixedordinals, the latter being visible around the margin of the subdial. Inthis case the mechanism should be so arranged that the plates wouldswing inwardly under the subdial to be concealed and outwardly to bemade operative.

I claim- 1. In a time-piece, the combination of a plate or dial, cL,aseries of twelve figure or ordinal plates, each independent of theothers, pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial 011 pivotswhich are arranged concentrically with relation to the center of thedial, and a motor operated by the time-movement of the time-piece andoperating said plates successively, whereby each plate is movedindependently into its operative position once in every twelve hours andout of its operative position during the succeeding twelve hours, as setforth.

In a time-piece, the combination of the plate or dial a ,a series offigure or ordinal plates pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with thedial, a rack-segment, c, revolved with the hour-hand of the time-piece,and intermediate devices, whereby ed gewise motion is 1m partedsuccessively to said plates from said segment, as set forth.

3. In a time-piece, the combination of a plate or dial, a, a series offigure or ordmal plates pivoted to swing in a plane parallel with thedial, a rack-segment revolved wlth the hour-han d of the time-piece,intermediate devices which impart edgewise motion from said segment tosaid plates, whereby said plates are moved successively to and fromtheir operative positions, and a ring or cover outside of the dial,whereby said plates are concealed when in their inoperative positions,as set forth.

4. In a time-piece, the combination of a plate or dial having a seriesof fixed ordinals, a series of ordinal plates or movable ordinalspivoted to swing in a plane parallel with the dial, a rack-segmentrevolved by the hourhand of the time-piece, intermediate devices whichimpart edgewise motion successively to said plates from said segment,whereby said plates are alternately swung over the corresponding fixedordinals and away from the same, and a ring or cover outside of thedial, whereby said plates are concealed when moved away from the fixedordinals, as set forth.

5. In a time-piece, the combination of a series of arbors, c,ordinal-plates or ordinals secured to said arbors, a rack-segmentaffixed to the hour-hand thimble of the time-piece, a series of pinionsmounted in fixed bearings and arranged to be engaged successively bysaid segment, eccentric-pins on said pinions and on the hubs of theordinal-plates, and radial levers pivoted between their ends and engagedat their ends with said pins, as set forth.

6. In a time-piece, the combination of a transparent or translucentplate or dial, ct, a series of movable ordinals mounted to swing in aplane parallel with the dial, and an opaque ring or shield arranged toconceal the said ordinals when they are moved away from their operativepositions, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of July, A. D. 1888.

CHARLES BIOKFORD.

\Vitnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON,

